Flying Snakes Help Scientists Design New Robots
In Physics of Fluids, researchers explore the lift production mechanism of flying snakes, which undulate side-to-side as they move from the tops of trees to the ground to escape predators or to move around quickly and efficiently. The investigators developed a computational model derived from data obtained through high-speed video of the snakes and considered several features, such as the angle of attack that the snake forms with the oncoming airflow and the frequency of its undulations, to determine which were important in producing glide.
Celeritas code will accelerate high energy physics simulations with supercomputers
Scientists at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory are leading a new project to ensure that the fastest supercomputers can keep up with big data from high energy physics research.
Argonne researchers awarded joint projects in advanced computing
Argonne scientists were awarded Scientific Discovery through Advanced Computing projects in nuclear and high energy physics, and Earth system model development. They will partner with DOE national labs to connect experts and high performance computers.
Sandia, Intel seek novel memory tech to support stockpile mission
In pursuit of novel advanced memory technologies that would accelerate simulation and computing applications in support of the nation's stockpile stewardship mission, Sandia National Laboratories, in partnership with Los Alamos and Lawrence Livermore national labs, has announced a research and development contract awarded to Intel Federal LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Intel Corporation.
A peculiar protected structure links Viking knots with quantum vortices
Mathematical analysis identifies a vortex structure that is impervious to decay.
Study: Without more data, a black hole's origins can be "spun" in any direction
Clues to a black hole's origins can be found in the way it spins. This is especially true for binaries, in which two black holes circle close together before merging.
Executive Director of the HKIAS elected International Councilor of the American Physical Society
Professor Xun-Li Wang, Executive Director of the Hong Kong Institute for Advanced Study (HKIAS) and Chair Professor of the Department of Physics of City University of Hong Kong was elected International Councilor of the American Physical Society (APS).
Entangled photons to take pictures in the dark
During photosynthesis, a chemical reaction jumpstarted by sunlight breaks down chemicals into the food plants need to repair themselves and to grow. But as researchers attempt to better understand photosynthesis, they have hit a roadblock when it comes to being able to see the fundamental structures and processes in a plant.
How the 'hell planet' got so hot
New research sheds light on how the "hell planet" got so devilishly hot and how other worlds might become too toasty for life.
The messy death of a star
Around 2500 years ago, a star ejected most of its gas, forming the beautiful Southern Ring Nebula, NGC 3132, chosen as one of the first five image packages from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).
NASA's Webb Indicates Several Stars 'Stirred Up' the Southern Ring Nebula
Wait, how many stars were at this party? It's likely there were up to five - but only two appear now! A research team recently began digging into Webb's highly detailed images of the Southern Ring Nebula to reconstruct the scene. It's possible more than one star interacted with the dimmer of the two central stars, which appears red in this image, before it created this jaw-dropping planetary nebula.
Deep-Space Discovery: Oddball Gamma-Ray Burst Forces Revision of Theoretical Framework
In the Dec. 7 issue of the journal Nature, an international team of astrophysicists report the discovery of a unique cosmological gamma-ray burst (GRB) that defies prevailing theories of how the violent cosmic explosions form.
UTEP Receives $5M Department of Energy Grant to Train Next Generation Nuclear Security Workforce
The University of Texas at El Paso in partnership with the University of New Mexico and the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University will prepare the next generation of nuclear security enterprise talent to develop electronics for extreme environments through a five-year, $5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy.
Brookhaven's Veljko Radeka Recognized by International Committee for Future Accelerators
Veljko Radeka, a senior scientist in the Instrumentation Division at the U. S. Department of Energy' (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory, has had a long, distinguished scientific career touching several areas of research and inspiring colleagues, collaborators, and students along the way. The International Committee for Future Accelerators (ICFA) recently recognized the contributions Radeka has made in the field of instrumentation, as well as his role as a leader, with the 2022 ICFA Instrumentation Award.
Nuclear Theorists Collaborate to Explore 'Heavy Flavor' Particles
Scientists at Brookhaven Lab will participate in a new Topical Theory Collaboration to explore the behavior of so-called 'heavy flavor' particles. These particles are made of quarks of the 'charm' and 'bottom' varieties. By understanding how these exotic particles form, evolve, and interact during powerful particle collisions, scientists will gain a deeper understanding of a unique form of matter that filled the early universe.
Brookhaven Lab to Lead New 'Saturated Glue' Theory Collaboration
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced funding for a new Topical Theory Collaboration to be led by DOE's Brookhaven National Laboratory that will aid in the discovery and exploration of a saturated state of gluons. These aptly named particles carry the nuclear strong force, acting as the 'glue' that holds together quarks, the building blocks of all visible matter.
Department of Energy Announces $11.24 Million for Research on Nuclear Theory Topical Collaborations
Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced $11.24 million for five topical theory collaborations in nuclear physics (NP). These projects bring together leading nuclear theorists to collaboratively focus on solving challenging problems central to advancing knowledge in nuclear physics.
Helping Acoustic Concepts Resonate with Students #ASA183
"I am sitting in a room, different from the one you are in now." With these words, Alvin Lucier begins a fascinating recording where his voice warps and becomes indistinguishable over time, solely because of how sound reflects in the room. For physics students, this audio can be used to reveal details of the surrounding room and teach important lessons about acoustic resonance. Andy Piacsek, of Central Washington University, will discuss how he employs Lucier's project in the classroom during his talk, "Students are sitting in a room."
Flameproofing lithium-ion batteries with salt
A polymer-based electrolyte makes for batteries that keep working - and don't catch fire - when heated to over 140 degrees F.
Kilonova Discovery Challenges our Understanding of Gamma-Ray Bursts
While studying the aftermath of a long gamma-ray burst (GRB), two independent teams of astronomers using a host of telescopes in space and on Earth, including the Gemini North telescope on Hawai'i and the Gemini South telescope in Chile, have uncovered the unexpected hallmarks of a kilonova, the colossal explosion triggered by colliding neutron stars. This discovery challenges the prevailing theory that long GRBs exclusively come from supernovae, the end-of-life explosions of massive stars.
Unusual gamma-ray burst reveals previously undetected hybrid neutron-star merger event
The standard view of gamma-ray bursts as a signature for different types of dying stars might need a rewrite. Recent astronomical observations, supported by theoretical modeling, reveal a new observational fingerprint of neutron-star mergers, which may shed light on the production of heavy elements throughout the universe.
Desde Chile descifran inesperados secretos en las explosiones de Kilonova
Mientras estudiaban los vestigios de una explosion de rayos gamma (GRB por sus siglas en ingles) que fue detectada en 2021, dos equipos de astronomos hallaron senales sorprendentes de una fusion de estrellas de neutron, en vez de la esperada huella de una supernova. Las observaciones realizadas desde telescopios terrestres y espaciales, que incluyeron al telescopio de Gemini Sur en Chile y Gemini Norte en Hawai'i, desafian la teoria prevaleciente que predice que las GRB de este tipo provienen exclusivamente de una supernova, es decir de la explosion final que acaba con la vida de las estrellas masivas.
Physics is Culture: Clifford V. Johnson Selected for AIP's 2022 Andrew Gemant Award
AIP announced physicist Clifford V. Johnson as the winner of the 2022 Andrew Gemant Award "for portraying the humanistic dimensions of physics to the public through a creative array of artistic, performance, and educational methods." The annual prize recognizes the accomplishments of a person who has made significant contributions to the cultural, artistic, or humanistic dimension of physics. In addition to a $5,000 prize for Johnson, $3,000 will be given to a Los Angeles elementary school and their annual science fair, where students, parents, and community members participate in physics demonstrations and experiments.
Back to Antarctica with SPIDER
In the next few weeks, a team led by researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign will fly an instrument called SPIDER. They are looking for a pattern, or polarization, in the earliest light we can measure.